Because I Love You
by geekischic
Summary: Because you're my partner. Because I love you-" She stopped speaking as she realized what she'd just said. She knew that everything had changed right then and there, for she had said the three little words that would turn their worlds upside down.


This takes place during 'A Pain in the Heart', so if you haven't seen it, don't read any further

This takes place during 'A Pain in the Heart', so if you haven't seen it, don't read any further. This fic is an alternate take on the bathtub scene. Brennan may seem slightly out of character, but I still couldn't resist writing this when the idea came. Hope you enjoy!

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Booth slid deeper into the warm water of the bathtub, desperately praying for his thoughts to be drowned out by the water and the music that pounded from the record player. The last few days had been close to unbearable. When he'd first heard from his boss that his death had to be faked, it killed him inside that his partner couldn't know the truth. He'd tossed and turned in his bed late at night, tormented by the fact that Bones, his Bones, was probably doing the same as she attempted to deny the fact that Booth was dead.

He slowly raised his head above the water, carefully balancing the ridiculous hat that perched on his head. The cans of beer that rested inside it weighed the thing down painfully on his head, but he didn't care in the slightest. The pain that pounded through his head was doing a fantastic job of numbing his mind of the memories of the events that had taken place throughout the past few days.

He thought back to his funeral, remembering how he'd pulled his hat down over his eyes to keep from looking at his partner's pale, pained, and disbelieving face as she stared at his casket. It broke his heart as he watched her silently fight back the pain that she would refuse to acknowledge if questioned by anyone. In her mind, if she pushed away the pain, it couldn't hurt her. And the fact that she'd had to suffer through that much because of him absolutely tore him to pieces.

He sighed as his eyes opened, observing his bathroom as if it was the first time he'd seen it. Could there be an answer to his problems lying here, hidden from the one person whom he trusted the most in the world?

His thoughts were interrupted by the fact that the bathroom door was slammed open and the figure of a very pissed off Dr. Brennan barged through the now open doorway. The needle of the turntable was thrown off the record, ending the music with a screech. Booth jumped at the sudden appearance of his partner, sloshing water over the sides of the tub and onto the floor of the room. "Bones!"

"How could you?" She stormed forward, stopping at the edge of the bathtub. "How could you not tell me you were alive?!"

Booth stood bolt upright in the tub, not even bothering to grab a towel to cover himself. "Do you think it was my choice? Do you think that I _wanted_ to lie to you Bones?!"

Her icy blue eyes were flashing with too many emotions to register. Booth stared her down as he tried to read them. Anger, confusion, sorrow, and… was that relief he saw there? "Why didn't you just call me Booth? Do you think I didn't deserve to know?"

Booth's eyes widened in absolute shock. "Why would you even think that Bones? You're my partner! Of course I wanted to tell you! But how could I risk my job by breaking protocol? I did what my job required me to do, even though I hated it. Why are you so upset about that?"

"Because I thought you were dead!" Brennan's voice rang shrilly in the tiled room as her piercing scream bounced around in her partner's head. "I thought you were dead." Before Booth could even register what was happening, he felt her lips on his, hungrily devouring them in a frenzied kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, knocking him over as she surprised him with her bold move. Together, they toppled back into the bathtub, sloshing beer onto the already soaked floor as Booth's hat fell to the ground. Her arms hugged him impossibly closer to her own body, as if lessening her grip would allow him to vanish from her sight. Booth felt her tears falling onto his bare shoulders as her lips separated from his and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I thought you were dead Booth."

Booth hugged her back, neither caring about the fact that her clothing was being drenched from the bathwater. "Ssshhh, it's okay Bones. I'm right here." Her body shook with her sobs as Booth gently tried to console her. "I'm right here."

She carefully raised her head, bringing her tear streaked gaze to meet his. The mocking and sarcasm she'd expected weren't there as she took in his expression. Instead, she saw worry and care etched across his face as he tried to comfort her. "Don't ever leave me Booth. You can't ever leave me like that again."

He brought a hand to her cheek, gently caressing her jaw with his fingers in a soothing manner. "Why are you so afraid Bones?"

She sighed heavily as she felt her tears beginning to brim in her eyes again. The words came out in a rush as she broke her gaze from him, looking anywhere but his eyes as she spoke. "Because you're my partner. Because I care about you. Because I need you. Because I love you-" She stopped speaking, fear enveloping her as she realized what she'd just said without thinking. She knew that everything had changed right then and there, for she had said the three little words that would turn their worlds upside down. _I love you._

Surprise was evidently etched onto Booth's face now as he heard her words. He stared at her, asking the silent question of whether or not it was true. "Look at me Bones." She stubbornly kept her gaze turned away from him, embarrassed to face him after her slip. He gently grasped her chin with his fingers and turned her gaze back to him. She took in the curious, careful, questioning look on his face and hope fluttered in her chest. Maybe… "Bones?"

"Yes Booth?"

"Do you really love me?"

She closed her eyes and sighed, every moment of their partnership and friendship flashing before her eyes in those few seconds. The way his charm smile sent butterflies straight to her stomach. The way his hand always found its way to the small of her back when they went anywhere together. The way he teased her playfully and the way they always bickered about he littlest things. How had she not seen it before? "Yes. I do."

She expected him to push her away, to tell her to leave and never come back. But he did exactly the opposite. He smiled. She blinked her eyes to make sure she hadn't imagined it. He was smiling at her. And then, a relieved chuckle left his lips. She looked at him in confusion, questioning what his reaction meant. And he answered her without a single word. Before she could think about leaving, she felt his lips on hers, surprising her as much as she had surprised him. Their lips gently danced against each other, their tongues carefully exploring the other's for the first time as they caressed each other.

They pulled away gently, keeping their faces only inches apart as they took in a breath and gazed into each other's eyes. They didn't care that they were sitting in Booth's bathtub. She didn't care that her clothing was soaked and her hair was clinging to her shoulders. He didn't care that he was sitting beneath her, stark naked as they expressed their love for the other for the first time. Nothing else in the world mattered. They loved each other, they were together, and there was nothing in the world that was going to stop them from enjoying the presence of each other.

**-End-**

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So, what'd you think? I know it was a little heavy, maybe a little cliché, but reviews and critiques are always welcome (hint hint). :)


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